Service organizations such as financial institutions and airlines are increasingly providing information relating to services to existing and potential customers via public access wide area data communications networks such as the so-called World Wide Web (WWW) or Internet. Typically, such information is stored in a server computer system operated by or for the corresponding service organization. The server computer system typically comprises a single server computer, or a cluster of server computers interconnected via a local area network, coupled to the network via a gateway. The information is typically stored in the server computer system in a markup language such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) format or Wireless Markup Language (WML) format, or stored in a database and dynamically rendered in such markup languages.
In HTML format, the information is typically stored in the form of a plurality of pages. A Universal Resource Locator (URL) is associated with each page. A particular page of information can be accessed by entering the corresponding URL into HTML browser software executing on a device connected to the network. The browser retrieves from the server system the page corresponding to the URL entered into the browser. The page is transmitted from the server system to the user device via the network. The browser then displays the retrieved page on the device. Each page may contain one or more hypertext links to other pages of information. The browser can be instructed to retrieve one of these other pages by selecting the corresponding links. Hypertext links permit the information to be arranged into a hierarchical structure comprising an entry point or home page and plurality of subsidiary pages accessible from the home page via one or a series of hypertext links. The hierarchical structure is also referred to as a domain or web site.
HTML is conventionally employed to communicate service information over wired network connections. However, as data processing power in portable communications devices such as mobile telephones increases, there is a growing demand for communication of similar information over wireless network connections. In response to the growing demand for such wireless communications, a new wireless communications protocol known as the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) was devised by the WAP Forum.
WML is a mark up language employed in WAP communications systems for communicating information to WAP compliant mobile user devices. A WAP compliant user device comprises WAP browser displaying WML format information received from a WAP server. Many mobile telephones now include WAP browsers. The WML format information is displayed on such user access devices in the form of a deck of cards, where each card represents one screen full of information. It is for performance issues that WML cards are batched into a deck of cards before being transmitted over WAP's Wireless Session Protocol (WSP). WML cards can be generally regarded as analogous to HTML pages. It is now common for WWW server computer systems to include a transcoder for converting a HTML pages into WML format for transmission to a wireless mobile user devices. By way of an alternative to transcoding HTML content into WML, WWW servers can also be used to store WML content or to dynamically generate WML mark-up language from data stored in some data repository such as a file system or a database.”
Increasingly, service organizations are extending the content of their web sites to provide on-line services to users. Such on-line services typically offer a range of resources to a user. For example, many airlines now provide users with on-line resources to book flights, check seat availability, and make purchases through a frequent flyer program. Likewise, many banks and financial institutions now provide users with on-line resources to perform financial transactions, and trade stocks and shares. A user typically registers with such a service organization to gain access to its on-line services. Upon registration, each user is issued a personal identification code such as a personal identification number or password by the service organization. A login panel accessible from the home page of the service organization then provides the user with access to the on-line resources on entry of the corresponding personal identification code. Some service organizations are now providing registered customers with so-called “web portals” through which users may record preferences relating to services on offer.
Many on-line resources are accessible only be navigating from a home page or login panel through a series of unwanted intermediate pages, all interconnected by a path of hypertext links. This frequently makes such resources difficult to find on a web site. Also, whilst the intermediate pages may provide the service organization with an opportunity to provide additional information to its users as they navigate through the web site to the desired on-line resource, it is time-consuming for the customers, particularly if they are seeking to access the resource at a time when the network is congested and therefore sluggish in performing data transmissions. It would therefore be desirable to provide direct access to such resources in the event that specific conditions are met, thereby avoiding time consuming navigation through intermediate pages of information.